Philip K. Dick The Golden Man

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Annotation

Philip K. Dick The Golden Man, 1953, (“Worlds of IF”, April 1954).

The Golden Man

Notes

The Golden Man

by Philip K. Dick

“Is it always hot like this?” the salesman demanded. He addressed every­body at the lunch counter and in the shabby booths against the wall. A middle-aged fat man with a good-natured smile, rumpled gray suit, sweat-stained white shirt, a drooping bowtie, and a Panama hat.

“Only in the summer,” the waitress answered.

None of the others stirred. The teen-age boy and girl in one of the booths, eyes fixed intently on each other. Two workmen, sleeves rolled up, arms dark and hairy, eating bean soup and rolls. A lean, weathered farmer. An elderly businessman in a blue-serge suit, vest and pocket watch. A dark rat-faced cab driver drinking coffee. A tired woman who had come in to get off her feet and put down her bundles.

The salesman got out a package of cigarettes. He glanced curiously around the dingy cafe, lit up, leaned his arms on the counter, and said to the man next to him: “What’s the name of this town?”

The man grunted. “Walnut Creek.”

The salesman sipped at his coke for a while, cigarette held loosely between plump white fingers. Presently he reached in his coat and brought out a leather wallet. For a long time he leafed thoughtfully through cards and papers, bits of notes, ticket stubs, endless odds and ends, soiled fragments — and finally a photograph.

He grinned at the photograph, and then began to chuckle, a low moist rasp. “Look at this,” he said to the man beside him.

The man went on reading his newspaper.

“Hey, look at this.” The salesman nudged him with his elbow and pushed the photograph at him. “How’s that strike you?”

Annoyed, the man glanced briefly at the the photograph. It showed a nude woman, from the waist up. Perhaps thirty-five years old. Face turned away. Body white and flabby. With eight breasts.

“Ever seen anything like that?” the salesman chuckled, his little red eyes dancing. His face broke into lewd smiles and again he nudged the man.

“I’ve seen that before.” Disgusted, the man resumed reading his news­paper.

The salesman noticed the lean old farmer was looking at the picture. He passed it genially over to him. “How’s that strike you, pop? Pretty good stuff, eh?”

The farmer examined the picture solemnly. He turned it over, studied the creased back, took a second look at the front, then tossed it to the salesman. It slid from the counter, turned over a couple of times, and fell to the floor face up.

The salesman picked it up and brushed it off. Carefully, almost tenderly, he restored it to his wallet. The waitress’ eyes flickered as she caught a glimpse of it.

“Damn nice,” the salesman observed, with a wink. “Wouldn’t you say so?”

The waitress shrugged indifferently. “I don’t know. I saw a lot of them around Denver. A whole colony.”

“That’s where this was taken. Denver DCA Camp.”

“Any still alive?” the farmer asked.

The salesman laughed harshly. “You kidding?” He made a short, sharp swipe with his hand. “Not any more.”

They were all listening. Even the high school kids in the booth had stopped holding hands and were sitting up straight, eyes wide with fascina­tion.

“Saw a funny kind down near San Diego,” the farmer said. “Last year, some time. Had wings like a bat. Skin, not feathers. Skin and bone wings.”